Chapter 201

“Vaisampayana said, ‘King Drupada, after his alliance with the Pandavas,had all his fears dispelled. Indeed, the monarch no longer stood in feareven of the gods. The ladies of the illustrious Drupada’s householdapproached Kunti and introduced themselves unto her, mentioning theirrespective names, and worshipped her feet with heads touching the ground.

Krishna also, attired in red silk and her wrists still encircled with theauspicious thread, saluting her mother-in-law with reverence, stoodcontentedly before her with joined palms. Pritha, out of affection,pronounced a blessing upon her daughter-in-law endued with great beautyand every auspicious mark and possessed of a sweet disposition and goodcharacter, saying, ‘Be thou unto thy husband as Sachi unto Indra, Swahaunto Vibhavasu, Rohini unto Soma, Damayanti unto Nala, Bhadra untoVaisravana, Arundhati unto Vasishtha, Lakshmi unto Narayana! O amiableone, be thou the mother of long-lived and heroic children, and possessedof everything that can make thee happy! Let luck and prosperity ever waiton thee! Wait thou ever on husbands engaged in the performance of grandsacrifices. Be thou devoted to thy husbands. And let thy days be everpassed in duly entertaining and reverencing guests and strangers arrivedat thy abode, and the pious and the old; children and superiors. Be thouinstalled as the Queen of the kingdom and the capital of Kurujangala,with thy husband Yudhishthira the just! O daughter, let the whole earth,conquered by the prowess of thy husbands endued with great strength, begiven away by thee unto Brahmanas at horse-sacrifice! O accomplished onewhatever gems there are on earth possessed of superior virtues, obtainthem, O lucky one, and be thou happy for a full hundred years! And, Odaughter-in-law, as I rejoice today beholding thee attired in red silk,so shall I rejoice again, when, O accomplished one, I behold thee becomethe mother of a son!’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘After the sons of Pandu had been married, Hari(Krishna) sent unto them (as presents) various gold ornaments set withpearls and black gems (lapis lazuli). And Madhava (Krishna) also sentunto them costly robes manufactured in various countries, and manybeautiful and soft blankets and hides of great value, and many costlybeds and carpets and vehicles. He also sent them vessels by hundreds, setwith gems and diamonds. And Krishna also gave them female servants bythousands, brought from various countries, and endued with beauty, youthand accomplishments and decked with every ornament. He also gave themmany well-trained elephants brought from the country of Madra, and manyexcellent horses in costly harness, cars drawn by horses of excellentcolours and large teeth. The slayer of Madhu, of immeasurable soul, alsosent them coins of pure gold by crores upon crores in separate heaps. AndYudhishthira the just, desirous of gratifying Govinda, accepted all thosepresents with great joy.'”